Oh, the wonders of the Internet. My last post about the benefits of unplugging during downtime brought a response from Katie Gates who wrote "a Seussian piece about technology back in 87, long before the distractions multiplied" entitled "Too Many Machines."Well, I pursued the link and enjoyed it immensely.
"In a rather small town,
Only ten years away,
Lived a family of four
By the name of Luray.
And their house, like so many,
Was filled to the brim
With machines that would cater
To any old whim...."
Another child arrived to the household as well as one more device:
"But the child would adjust
To mechanical times,
To the semblance of rattles,
Computerized rhymes..."
However, Grace did not adjust and was not enamoured with M-6 a computerized doll:
“She shunned my good company,”
Explained the machine.
“At first I assumed
An aversion to green.
“But no matter my color,
No matter my style,
I simply could not
Get that Grace-child to smile....”
Instead Grace turned to the allure of nature:
"She was calmed by the rustling
Of leaves in the trees,
And she joined in their song,
Which saluted the breeze.
She delighted in watching
The birds fly above;
Their chirping and cooing
Delivered her love."
Grace lamented that her life had been usurped by gadgets:
"For the world that existed
Outside her small home
Had stolen life's textures
And turned them to chrome."
Then she met a neighbour lady and sensed her home was different:
“What's that?” asked the child
Of an object quite small.
“Don't you know?” said the lady.
“Why, that's a rag doll— ”
“But what can it do?
Does it answer a quiz?”
“No,” said the lady.
“The rag doll just is.”
And the lady confided:
“You see, back in my young days
One's vision ran free.
In your mind, you could be
What you wanted to be.”
Grace walked home after this friendly visit, hugging the rag doll. Go here and read the whole poem as well as the conclusion which is sure to warm your heart.
Katie Gates, writer and artist, is a resident of Los Angeles. She also serves the nonprofit sector as an independent fundraising consultant.
Thanks, Katie, for the perfect tie in to the post. You have been added to my blog roll. What a sensitive and prophetic piece written over 20 years ago.
